Marianna
by Katherine41319
Summary: King Aragorn's daughter goes missing and Legolas comes to find her. May be multi chapter. I know the timeline is a little messed up, sorry. Legolas/OC
1. Chapter 1

**AN: First ever fanfic from a few years ago, so may be very bad, but it gets better later. Thanks to a little Butterfly who helped me :)**

**xxx**

Marianna was playing, hide and seek, with her two brothers. They were having fun. Her big brother Aragon II was very clever, and he always knew all the best places to hide. He was her idol, she followed him everywhere.

Aragon II wanted to be a Rider of Rohan and so did she. Her adorable little brother, Bormir was only two, he was too young to know how to hide properly and had to have the maid help him find a place to hide in. Though every two seconds or so he would let out a high pitched giggle, giving away his hiding spot. He was the baby of the family; everyone loved him and doted on him.

Marianna thought she saw a small clearing, full of big, white lilies just ahead, covered by long willow branches sweeping down over the mossy ground. Her soft slippers made no sound as she ran over to the tree, and slipped under the branches, her long dress catching on the ground and she lifted her hand and tugged at it till it tore loose, thinking what a wonderful hiding place this was; no-one could find her here.

**xxx**

It was dark now, she had fallen asleep in the small mossy glade; now everyone was gone and the cheerful woods with their singing trees had become a big looming monster waiting to gobble her up, like the Orc's in the stories her Father had told her about in his great battles. An owl screeched piercingly and she ran into the darkness, not caring about the branches whacking her face, just aiming to get back to the castle and into her Father's strong arms. After around about half an hour of hard running, trying to escape from the darkness that was full of unfriendly shapes and noises, Marianna collapsed to the ground, exhausted, salty tears stinging the cuts the branches had made across her sweet face. "Daddie ….where are you Daddie?" she cried into the shadowy, forbidding forest. She curled herself into a ball to block out the dark forest and the nightmares that her mind dreamed up, and cried herself into a restless sleep.

**xxx**

Beside the gurgling stream sat Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood. His blonde hair fell over his shoulders, his hands absentmindedly fiddling with his handcrafted elven bow. Peace filled the glade and Legolas drifted into a semi-awake state.

Alyss ran swiftly into the sunlit glade. Her face framed by her softly curling brown hair was full of burden, and her breath came in short gasps due to the haste in which she had tried to find him. Legolas sat up, and started to form a question in his mind, thinking up many worrying situations that could have caused Alyss to ride to him with such speed, but he kept his troublesome feelings from showing across his handsome face. Alyss interrupted his thoughts with a small gesture. He let her regain her breath, unease causing him to adjust his quiver and pick up his bow in case of any immediate need. In an exhausted voice Alyss started to speak. "Aragon requests your assistance in a very fragile and personal matter."

She paused to take a breath. Legolas straightened up and interrupted her. "I will go at once. Where does he require me?"

"Do not be hasty Legolas Greenleaf," Alyss reprimanded him. "Let me finish. His only daughter, Marianna has disappeared whilst playing with her brothers. If this news gets out we will have all the enemies of the King out seeking her to use her as leverage against the King. This is why King Aragon will only give a trusted friend the task of finding his beloved child. He asked for you." Aragon and Legolas had shared danger together and that had helped form a special bond with each other. Legolas was still surprised that he was the one which Aragon had chosen to call. Were there not others closer who were trusted and just as good a woodlander?

Legolas's brow wrinkled in confusion, but he decided that these matters could be explained later. Legolas replied, "I will leave immediately; Rohan is two days hard riding."

Alyss lead two sturdy horses forward. "Did you think that the King would not send someone to guard your back? I am to travel with you." Legolas made no comment, but his lips tightened and he mounted his steed and waited in cold silence. "The King trusts me Legolas, why won't you?"

Legolas looked her in the eye and spoke. "You have already ridden hard, I do not want you to exhaust yourself. Besides I can do fine by myself. With two people it will take longer"

Alyss mounted and spurred her horse forward; "well my mind is made up. I will not be a burden to you, nor am I too weak to make the journey. If we want to get there sooner we should start riding" Alyss galloped off in defiance, Legolas cantered after her and took the lead, his long hair flying behind him.

**xxx**

Aragon knelt over his dead wife's grave and wept. He had failed her; their only daughter was missing now for four days and was not yet found. Legolas had yet to come to his plea. He trusted Legolas would come, but prayed that he would arrive soon.

Marianna was all he had left of Arwen, besides their two sons, but they were more like him. Meanwhile Marianna was the exact image of her mother. Her naïve attitude and innocence would endanger her if trouble arose, if she was not already dead. She was only eight. How could she have slipped away from the guards and why? It was his fault for not being there and watching her every move.

He heard footsteps approaching him and raised his gaze in the hope of seeing her small figure running to meet him. He again bowed his head in sorrow as he realized it was only the changing of his private guard. Legolas was taking his time. Aragon cursed himself for being unable to search for her himself. As the King it would endanger her. If the King left his post, within an hour all would know about it and why he had left. She was safer with him on the throne, but Legolas was a different matter and he trusted the elf. He needed to come soon. Time was running out for his only daughter.

Legolas and Alyss soon slowed down to a steady trot, their horse's swift legs eating up the miles. After about two and a half days of tough riding, the great city of Gondor came into sight, rising up, a great stone wall that awed men. As they entered the enormous stone gates of the city they leant low over their horses, pushing the sweat soaked animals to reach the castle. Anxiety for the King's daughter's safety drove them to ride with ferocious speed, taking little care to avoid passers-by and market stalls.

They dismounted quickly and shoved their horse's reins into the surprised hands of the Palace guard. They strode purposely through a colossal stone doorway, Alyss's knee high riding boots echoing across the courtroom. The King's loyal secretary stood up quickly. "What is the meaning of this; bursting into the King's courtroom unannounced!"

Legolas sighed in frustration at the man's obstructive attitude. He took a deep breath and spoke in a measured tone, "I am Legolas Greenleaf; Prince of Mirkwood, I request a meeting with the King at once".

The King's secretary stood with his mouth open and muttered something to himself, before he stood tall, "I need proof that you are who you say you are, Legolas Greenleaf". Annoyance and cold anger rose in Legolas's eyes.

Alyss stepped forward. "You have insulted me and a Prince of the elves. What do you mean to imply when you ask for identification from an ELF? He claims he is a visitor to the King. Do you treat every guest this way? This is an offence to the King himself. What do you have to say for yourself? We demand to see the King, immediately!" The secretary looked around for help but found none in the now silent stone court room.

"I will fetch the King if the time is convenient for him. Is there a message for His Majesty?" Legolas replied, "Just say that an old friend has responded to his call."

**xxx**

"A man has disrupted the courtroom demanding you, Your Majesty" announced a bothered man. "He claims to be a Legolas Greenleaf; Prince of Mirkwood, Sir."

"Legolas!" the King exclaimed. "He came. I must see him at once. Where is he, in the courtroom?" Before the man could speak again, the King was off running to greet his old friend.

Legolas swung around gracefully at the sound of his name being called. "Legolas!" The King ran into the room and smothered him in a gigantic bear hug, repeating, "You came! You came!"

"Of course I came. The Prince of Mirkwood always comes for a friend." Legolas awkwardly hugged him back, feeling very much at unease with hugs. Aragon patted Legolas on the back, at a loss for words for a minute before with a smile Legolas said, "You look terrible".

Aragon smiled slightly in remembrance of old times and said "I am a King now, I could throw you out for saying that." They continued their friendly banter for a few minutes before Alyss politely interrupted them with a very lady-like cough.

"Your Majesty." She bowed deeply to Aragon.

"Alyss, thank-you. You did well to bring him here so fast. Come now Legolas, Alyss. My private quarters would give us a little more solitude. Hurry, we have many important matters to discuss."

**xxx**

Legolas walked out of Aragon's quarters his mind in a whirl. All the facts where muddled in his brain but he could sense Aragon's desperation. Four days was a long time for a girl to be out in the woods alone. While there was peace in Middle Earth, there was always greed and anger. Marianna was young. She would not know where to go, or who to trust. He needed to start looking, now.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I hope this isn't as bad as I feel it is. Critisim is very welcome!**

**xxx**

Marianna gathered her torn dress around her thin mosquito bitten legs. The cold night breeze penetrated the flimsy cloth. She shivered so hard her teeth chattered and she bit her tongue. She tasted blood in her mouth, but she was so numb she couldn't feel any pain. Marianna took a small package secreted in her dress pocket and opened it carefully. Three dejected blackberries lay in the centre of the rough cloth. She carefully picked out the smallest berry from her miserable scavenging efforts and plopped it into her mouth. She wrapped her tongue around the tiny fruit and wallowed in its coolness. Then she warily bit into it and slowly chewed making the most of her small meal. Once it was gone she judiciously wrapped the other two berries in the rough cloth in case she couldn't find anything tomorrow. Then she curled up into a ball and tried to get a little sleep as her stomach cramped in hunger and terrible nightmares overtook her.

**xxx**

Legolas decided that taking the horses would be a good idea. Aragon had insisted that Alyss accompanied him. Aragon had privately assured him that it was no insult to his abilities, or that he did not trust Legolas to find his daughter. It was the fact that he would feel better with two people out looking for her.

Legolas could understand that. It was just….Alyss? She was young and inexperienced and she would hold him back. Aragon knew that, so why? Legolas slowly saddled up his horse, taking the time to think out a reasonable strategy for searching for Marianna. She was young and probably terrified and she had been missing for four and a half days. She needed water and food if she had not already found some. Legolas's horse pawed the ground in impatience to get going and Legolas privately agreed with him. Alyss was already holding him up. How long did it take to change clothes and freshen up for a search party?

Alyss rushed around her room in a scurry of movement, grabbing this and that. Everything she thought she might possibly need for a journey into the forest.

"Will I need cooking supplies, you know, a frying pan that kind of stuff?" she questioned her bewildered maid. "My Lady..."the maid stuttered. "Oh I might as well take it."

She stuffed it alongside the steadily growing pile of 'necessary' items. "Am I taking too much do you think….? No don't answer that. I might change my mind" she flashed a grin at her overwhelmed maid. Then she grabbed what stuff she could and rushed off down the stone corridor, eager not to keep Legolas waiting.

Legolas was getting very impatient and angry. He was keen to get searching as fast as he could and Alyss was just holding him up. Would everything she did take this long? The other girls he had met in his long elfish life had not been this infuriating and bothersome. If this was a sign of what this whole search was going to be like, he felt he might as well give up right now.

Legolas struggled to keep a calm face. Patience was not his strong point and he knew that. Actually he hated himself for the way that Alyss was getting under his skin so much and bothering him like this. No-one had annoyed him so much for a long time and that was another story. He checked for the millionth time that he had everything packed. His saddle pack had a dozen cylindrical tubes full of extra arrows for his bow in case the need arose. He hoped that he would only have to use them on small game.

Alyss rode her heavily laden horse out into the desolate side courtyard. Her long brown hair was tied up in a serviceable pony tail. She had changed out of her worn and sweaty traveling clothes and now she was wearing a clean tunic and leggings. She strode confidently across the courtyard.

Legolas's face was set in a firm mask and that was enough to tell her he was thoroughly mad with her. With a defiant toss of her head she mounted her horse. "I see you brought enough for us and all the Riders of Rohan" Legolas remarked tightly.

Alyss's eyes swept over the stuff she had packed. She had to admit she might have brought just a 'teensy' bit too much. She glared at him, "You will thank me later when you realise you've forgotten something" she said haughtily.

"Well at least she didn't wear a dress" Legolas muttered to himself. Then he urged his horse into a steady trot. "Come on, we have wasted enough time already!" Alyss mounted her horse and then trotted after Legolas, wondering if he was always going to be leaving her behind. She hoped not.


	3. Chapter 3

Marianna had found a well-worn little path winding its way in the woods, following its own plan; it seemed to lead to nowhere. Her dress was torn to shreds, and her body was covered in mosquito bites which she paused to scratch as she made her way down the only clue to civilization she had found so far. Muddled thoughts went in and out of her tired brain. Whoever was at the end of this path could help her. All she had to do was tell them she was the Kings daughter. With this comforting thought, a little more energy crept into her steps and she plodded on, hoping to be home before night fell.

**xxx**

Alyss grumbled at her little horse, "Why can't you keep up with him?" Legolas was way ahead of her, only pausing now and then to check that he could still see her. It was aggravating. It made her feel like he was baby-sitting her.

They had left the path long ago and she had started wondering how he knew where he was going. She didn't have the courage to ask him. To her all the trees looked the same and they weren't following a river.

Maybe he had elvish power. "Well he is an elf, so he must have elvish powers…maybe in this case he is asking the trees to show him which way she went." Settling down in her saddle again, now that she had solved that pressing problem, Alyss once again wondered why her horse was going so slowly.

What Legolas was doing was not quite as mystical as Alyss had believed. It wasn't that hard to follow a terrified girl running in the forest if you're a decent tracker. Legolas was an elf and to him this was like walking down a marked path.

He glanced back again. That girl was slowing him down. She had piled her horse to the point of exhaustion and now she was looking extremely cross that the horse wasn't going faster. He was going to have to tell her that some of her stuff was going to have to be left behind.

He stopped and peered down at the ground, trying to make out a faint mark. "What is it?" Alyss remarked out of breath. He tensed, trying not to snap at her. She really was dumb; he thought. "It's a footprint, on the ground" he told her slowly, speaking to her like a child. Her face became a mask of anger. "I can see. I'm not blind!" His anger drained away and he felt like laughing. She was looking in the wrong place! "Over there," he spoke slowly again.

Her face became shamed, "Oh," she said. "What does it mean?" Legolas looked at the sky. It looked like it was about to rain. "We need to hurry, it will rain soon. She is being followed," Legolas replied simply.

Alyss felt the first drop fall on her head. They weren't going fast enough, it was her stupid horse. He could only go at a walk. Legolas's comment about the princess being followed had left her edgy. She kept on looking over her shoulder just to make sure someone wasn't following them. She wondered if the trees talked to the elves? Maybe they talked to each other and if they did then one of them could tell Legolas if someone was following them.

While she was in her own little world she didn't realize her horse had halted. "Come on. Keep on horsey," she encouraged her horse. She glanced up to see Legolas looking at her expectantly. He was off his horse and waiting for her to get off too.

"Oh, we are stopping. Shouldn't we keep going?" This question had been bugging Legolas. If he was by himself he would have, but with a lady they needed to rest. He stored it away in his mind with all the other things Alyss was doing to hold them up. "Get off. We stop to camp here," he said and made it clear he didn't want any more conversation.

Alyss quickly dismounted and began rummaging around in her horse pack to try and find her tent. After a few minutes a sinking feeling settled in her stomach and she began to search more desperately. Pan, net, jars for bugs, paper for messages, blanket, and fish. No tent. "What is it? You need to set up, now. It is starting to rain," Legolas said from behind her.

She turned around guiltily and fiddled nervously with her fingers. "Um, I have to tell you something…" she flittered off. Legolas looked at her keenly, anger in his eyes. She was frustrating him. "Well…" she started. "What?" He literally spat it out. She stepped back in shock and crashed into her docile horse who her looked at her with sad eyes.

The rain was falling harder now. Soon it would be a down pour. "I sort of forgot my tent. And yeah well…" Alyss looked up into Legolas's surprised face. "It's not that bad. I'll just…just…um…do something" she said. He didn't need to be responsible for her, and she wasn't a child. Legolas sighed. "You'll have to share mine," he said grudgingly.


End file.
